Tel Aviv — SodaStream International, which makes machines to carbonate tap water at home, is looking to acquire companies and beef up marketing in key countries to keep its turnaround going. The world’s biggest soda water company sold 3-million units in the past 12 months, boosting its customer base 4% from the end of 2016 to 11.5-million households, CEO Daniel Birnbaum said in an interview. With about $100m of cash and no debt, SodaStream is planning to spend to keep the momentum going. "We’re on the offensive now," Birnbaum said at SodaStream’s headquarters in Airport City, Israel. "We can buy companies, we can advertise more aggressively. We’re growing." He did not specify which businesses SodaStream is targeting. SodaStream’s willingness to spend reflects how far it has come since switching strategies in 2014. With sales and income flagging, the company moved away from at-home cola machines that competed in a $260bn market against giants such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo. Sceptical ...
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